BARRIE – A linear accelerator – used in radiation treatment – is on the move to Peterborough from Barrie.
Representatives from Cancer Care Ontario, Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) and Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) were at the Barrie hospital recently to officially hand over the linear accelerator to PRHC.
In 2008 RVH received Canada's first temporary radiation treatment clinic through a partnership between RVH, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Cancer Care Ontario, and the Odette Cancer Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. This single radiation suite allowed RVH to provide radiation therapy four years before the opening of the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre.
Since 2008, 2,605 cancer patients have received their radiation therapy in Barrie.
Cancer survivor Mary Templeton wrote a letter of encouragement and support for the first patient who will receive radiation therapy in Peterborough.
Templeton was among those patients who was given treatment using the local radiation suite.

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Mary's letter:

Hello,
My name is Mary Templeton and although we have never met we are connected by cancer.
When I was diagnosed with rectal cancer my only hope of survival was aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
Thankfully
both treatments were available to me at Royal Victoria Regional Health
Centre (RVH) due to the progressive and innovative thinking of some
pretty amazing people who work in the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer
Program.
I could get my life-saving treatment, close to home because
in 2008 RVH received Canada’s first temporary radiation treatment
clinic. This amazing venture was the result of a partnership between
RVH, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Cancer Care Ontario, and
the Odette Cancer Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. It meant
they
could start providing radiation therapy four years before they
actually opened the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre which wasn’t
even under construction when the clinic opened.
RVH’s single
radiation machine facility began treating patients with breast, prostate
and gastro-intestinal cancer on April 1st 2008. This meant 400 area
residents each year could receive their radiation therapy in Barrie and I
was fortunate to be one of those patients.
What it meant for me was
that I didn’t have to make 35 difficult trips to Toronto for treatment
which, if traveling from Barrie, translates to over 6,300 hours of
travel time and over 7,000 kilometers – often during treacherous weather
conditions.
I honestly didn’t realize how important getting that care close to home would be until I began treatment.
I’ve had a bad sunburn before, but having radiation in such a sensitive area was a hundred times worse than that.
There was no way I could have sat in a car all the way back from a hospital in Toronto.
It
was hard enough just driving the 15 minutes to my home in Hillsdale.
Another issue for me was that my husband Jack an OPP Sergeant was on a
U.N. Peacekeeping Mission in Sudan and was only able to come home at the
end of my treatments.
That’s when care close to home and a supportive cancer team meant the world to me.
RVH’s cancer team inspired me. They deal with cancer all day and yet they are so encouraging and supportive.
I’m
now finished my treatment and, after a celebration trip with my husband
to Italy and Greece, I’m back to my normal life. Just being able to
write the words – “normal life” - sends chills down my spine.
I
credit the amazing cancer care team at RVH for getting me through this.
For me every day is now a blessing and to be on the other side of this
journey is a wonderful thing.
You are about to start your journey and
I know you are probably scared – but find comfort that with this
radiation machine now in Peterborough, you too can get the care you need
closer to your home. Good luck on your journey.
I will be thinking about you.
With greatest respect,
Mary Templeton